Jai McDowall won the fifth series of Britain’s Got Talent in June this year. Since winning the competition the 25-year-old from Tarbolton in Ayrshire has signed to Simon Cowell’s record label Syco, performed with his hero Josh Groban, wowed audiences at the Royal Variety Show and released his debut album Believe on December 12th.

Your debut album was released last Monday, can you tell us more about the album?

Well it’s an album of covers, the lead track’s With Or Without You and there are some other ones like Fix You, How You Remind Me and Where You’ll Be.  It’s quite a good mix of lots of different songs, just because I’m quite weird and have a very eclectic taste in music!  I think when I was picking the songs I tried to pick songs that I did enjoy and had on my iPod so that I’d already know them and they already meant something to me, so I could sing them slightly better with more emotion and feeling behind them which is always a good thing.

How did you decide upon the title Believe?

The title actually came from my personal Facebook page.  I asked my friends for ideas, you can imagine what they came up with, but somebody came up with a really good one which was Believe.  I thought that was pretty good because during the show there was a lot of rumours and press on the likes of Ronan and Michael and it was a case of I had to keep believing that I had what it takes and just keep going!  I’ve always wanted to do this since I was like about 15 or something, probably younger than that.  There were a lot of knock-backs, so it’s a case of just keep believing in yourself and hopefully you’ll get there!

Why did you decide the lead single would be your cover of U2’s With or Without You?

We actually we worked with the Scala choir and the Kolacny Brothers and I was blown away by the track and thought that’s got to be the one!  I’d recorded the track before on my own and then we had found out that they had done a good version of it.  Before I was just like “yeah its okay I like it” but once the choir got in on it, it just blew me away.  I just thought this has gotta be the first single, it’s just a really good song and I really liked it so thought I’ve got to go for this one.

The video for With Or Without You was revealed last week, how much were you involved in the video making process?

Don’t get me talking about what I was wearing!  With the size of the suitcase I brought down for the video shoot and I ended up wearing what I’d come in that day!  I travelled the night before and I put on some clothes and thought “yeah I’ve got all these clothes”, then one of the guys said I quite like what you’ve got on just now.  I thought “I have a massive case full of clothes and you want me to wear this?”, but actually it was pretty good!  It was my clothes anyway that I was bringing down which meant it was my style, so it was pretty good to wear my own stuff and be myself.

With regards to the shoot I didn’t have a lot of say actually, one of the guys Shane Davey contacted me by email a lot and he described it to me like “this is the setting and this is what it’s like” and I thought you know, that’s just me.  It was quite a simple setting and a simple video and I want to go down that route, because I’m a fan of derelict stuff and wasteland type of buildings, like run-down places.  The album cover as well was shot in the first set of Dragon’s Den, so it’s pretty much just one floor in this loft apartment, it was pretty awesome.  It ties in with the whole theme of the album and I quite like the old grungy, down-to-earth style.  It’s all good!

You started your career at a young age singing karaoke alongside your dad in pubs and clubs, what was your favourite karaoke track?

Probably Lonestar - Amazed or I Drove All Night, maybe the two of them.  I like those songs they are pretty good, completely different to what I’m singing now obviously.  Honest to God, I have the biggest taste in music it’s unbelievable.  I love singing anything, but for the album I loved singing the kind of musical / poppy  / rock or whatever it is, I don’t even have a genre for it to be honest!

You’ve described your music taste as “quite eclectic”, can you give us an example of what kind of tracks we would find on your iPod?

On my iPod I’ve got everything!  I’ve got Kelly Clarkson, Matt Cardle, Kerry Ellis, the Jekyll and Hyde soundtrack, Nightwish, the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack, I’ve got hundreds!  I’ve got Paramore, the Twilight soundtrack; I’ve even got Disney songs and a lot of Glee!  To be honest, there is an epic mix of songs there.  You want an iPod for a party?  Pick mine!

Prior to winning Britain’s Got Talent you worked as a support worker looking after young people with disabilities, is this still something you actively support?

Yeah definitely!  I mean when they were choosing a charity I ended up working with Mencap which pretty much does exactly the same as what my old job done.  It helps younger people to realise their dreams and try and push them a little bit further than they would themselves and help them to live independent lives as such.  It was a no brainer when I was choosing charities to be honest.

You recently performed with Josh Groban at Glasgow’s Concert Hall, how was this experience for you?

It was a dream come true!  He was such a lovely fella as well and to have it happen so quickly, because obviously I only won in June and that was in October!  I was like “oh my God!  What’s going on?”, it was honestly a very good night for me.

In the Britain’s Got Talent semi-final you sang a cover of Evanescence Bring Me To Life and this track is now featured on your debut album, does this song have a particular meaning to you?

It’s pretty much just a song I like.  What happened actually on the show we picked the songs, but it wasn’t one that I had gone with at the time.  It was the producer on the show and the music producer, who actually ended up working on my album with me as well.  I was singing through a couple of other songs and he said “remind me of this one?” and it was pretty good as it pushed me a little bit.  At first I was like “no I can’t sing that because its Evanescence, that’s a woman’s song!  She goes really high and I can’t sing that”, so we got it in a key that suited me and another arrangement and I love it!  I would actually go as far to say it’s probably my favourite song on the album, like when I listen to it; it’s the only one I can listen to. It comes on my iTunes and it’s the only one out of the entire album that I’ll listen to because I like it that much!  I think it’s because it’s quite dark as well, I quite like the likes of Nightwish, so I love the whole opera but with the gothic darkness to it as well.

Your performance at the Royal Variety Show was described as ‘spine-tingling’ and standing ‘head and shoulders above pop stars’ at the event, how does this feel?

Oh wow!  I’ve not actually read anything to be honest, I was too scared.  Is that what it says?  Well, wow, it’s nice.  How awesome!

I hate reading about myself because you never know and in case it's negative press or something, I don’t bother I just leave it, but that’s dead nice!  I’ll need to go and check that out!  It was an awesome night though and I think everybody did so well. I thought “I’ve got to give it more than one hundred percent” and I just tried my best, so thankfully it’s paid off! I’m quite chuffed with that.

For the festive season you’ve launched a Facebook advent calendar with exclusive videos behind each window, what made you decide to do this?

The management had said “what do you want to do for Christmas” and I thought I’m not really sure.  I'd mentioned, stupidly, I love advent calendars and the guy that does the website said “why don’t we try and do one on the internet”.  I wondered how would you do that, I thought it’s a bit cheesy, but when he explained it to me I thought actually that’s pretty nice!  It’s good for the fans being interactive as well and I like to give something back.  I wouldn’t be where I am without the people who supported me from the beginning, so it’s nice to give them a bit of cheery Christmas fun with my Christmas jumper!  I actually went and bought those Christmas jumpers just to film those videos, I love my Christmas jumpers!  I nearly wore one on Daybreak, but I thought no I’ll refrain.  I wear it all the time.  Actually I wore it down to my best friend’s bit and said “before you make fun of my Christmas jumper, don’t bother!”  And he was like "I actually quite like your Christmas jumpers, in fact I kind of want one!”.  I was like “yes I’m a trend setter!”

Speaking of Christmas, what is your favourite Christmas song?

I really like O Holy Night.  It’s got to be the Josh Groban or the Glee version!  One of those two, I don’t know why but O Holy Night has a really long high note and I’m sure that’s it!

What has been the best Christmas present you’ve ever received?

I don’t know! This Christmas would be the best because I’ve got an album coming out, but that’s not really a Christmas present is it.  Oh, I once got a ventriloquist doll!  We went to America and I’d wanted this dummy and my mum and dad went and bought me it whilst we were on holiday, but didn’t tell me and gave me it for Christmas.  I still have him, he’s in a box though!  I can’t work him though to be honest, I’ve tried for ages but my mouth wouldn’t stop moving!

So you won’t be entering Britain’s Got Talent as a ventriloquist next year?

[Laughter] No!

And finally, how would you describe your ‘perfect Christmas’?

Just normally!  We just stay in our pyjamas and chill out, have dinner and just do the whole family thing and open all the presents.  I’m the worst person still in my house, up at like 6 o'clock in the morning.  Last year I did go down really early, because I was working last year at 10 o’clock.  My brother was going off his head and said “I can’t believe you’ve drove 7 miles to come here and wake me up just for this!”  I was like “yeah but its Christmas!”.  I’m quite easily excitable, it’s a shame really.  I’m a big geek, I can’t help it!

Jai’s debut album, Believe, is available for download from iTunes now.

Claire White, 20 years old.